


Memories Under Moonlight

by lilynete



Category: SK8 the Infinity (Anime)
Genre: Childhood Memories, Fluff and Angst, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Pre-Canon, Unrequited Love, but is it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-28
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-12 22:01:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29766240
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilynete/pseuds/lilynete
Summary: Things used to be different.
Relationships: Kikuchi Tadashi & Shindo Ainosuke | Adam, Kikuchi Tadashi/Shindo Ainosuke | Adam
Comments: 4
Kudos: 121





	Memories Under Moonlight

**Author's Note:**

> hi my name is aslan and i’m the ceo of this ship thank you for hopping aboard and i hope you enjoy your stay.

Soft giggles broke through the otherwise quiet night, muffled beneath small hands and hurried tiptoeing. The fingers of their free hands stayed locked together, boards held under their arms as the oppressively large Shindo household vanished behind them and they let the night sweep them away.

“Tada-kun,” Ainosuke spoke up in a whisper, sounding slightly scandalized. “We’re gonna get caught.”

“It’s okay.” His friend reassured him with that same gentle smile as always, the one reserved just for him in these private little moments. Away from the watchful eyes of the rest of his family that would balk at the sight of him growing too close with someone so far beneath them.

_Anyone Ainosuke was tied to, the Shindo family became tied to, so it was important to keep status in mind when building his social circle. An employee was just an employee, a dog was just a dog._

“Even if we do, I’ll make sure you won’t get in trouble.”

He felt a fluttering in his chest at Tadashi’s promise, and nodded as the last of his reservations about sneaking off like this melted away. At least for tonight. What his father and aunts didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them, he’d decided that from the very first moment he’d seen that smile, from the moment he’d taken that outstretched skateboard and learned what real freedom could taste like. 

They arrived at their destination in just a few more minutes, holding hands all the way. The skatepark at night wasn’t a glamorous spot by any means, but to Ainosuke it was far more gorgeous than any intricately decorated parlor or professionally-kept garden. He would take the graffiti-covered slopes of cement metal rails speckled with rust over marble floors and golden finishes any day.

“Can you teach me an ollie today?” Ainosuke asked with stars in his eyes.

“Mm… you should probably focus on balancing first.” Tadashi teased with a straight face. _How was he so good at that?_

“I can balance…! That part’s easy.” Ainosuke insisted, then struck a pose. One hand on his hip, head tilted to the side with the other pushing back his hair. A confident smirk grew beneath the shadow of his hand. “Just watch.”

He stepped onto his board then, already placed on the ground in preparation upon their arrival. He wobbled a little as he shifted his feet, arms raised to keep himself from toppling forward, he straightened out quickly, then looked up at Tadashi and beamed.

“Good job, Ainosuke-sama.” Tadashi complimented.

“Don’t call me that here.” The title made him deflate a little, shoulders and grin drooping together.

“What should I call you then…?”

“Hmm…” Ainosuke tapped his chin thoughtfully for a moment, then brightened with an epiphany, so excited he tapped his feet in the motions of a dance atop his board. Tadashi could hardly hide his surprise when he managed not to fall over, but the other boy seemed too lost in himself to notice. “Call me Adam!”

“Adam…?”

Ainosuke nodded in approval. “Mhm. Because _this_ ,” He raised his arms wide above his head, a grand gesture towards the concrete park around them, “Is our Garden of Eden!”

“Does---Does that make me Eve…?” Tadashi questioned quietly, sounding a little reluctant. Ainosuke seemed to think about it again, leaning forward as though inspecting Tadashi while he made his decision.

“I haven’t decided yet.” He finally answered, mischief dancing across his features. “Obasan would probably say you’re the snake, tempting me into sin.”

Tadashi looked positively horrified by the notion. “I---I would ne---”

Ainosuke cut him off with a laugh as he pushed himself forward on the skateboard, stopping himself with both arms thrown over Tadashi’s shoulders. The proximity brought a flush to his cheeks, and he can only hope Ainosuke doesn’t notice under the faint light of the moon.

“I know. You’re the one who brought me to this paradise, after all.” His voice dipped into something quieter as he said it, gentle and low as his breath danced across Tadashi’s cheek. The warmth of it spread through Tadashi’s entire face, through his chest. He leaned into it just for a moment, savoring the feeling.

“So!” He jerked back when he caught himself growing a little too comfortable. _It wasn’t his place, he couldn’t get his hopes up_. “You want to learn how to ollie, right? I can show you first...if you’d like.”

Ainosuke pulled away too, a tad more reluctantly, nodding once more.

“Alright, so---” Tadashi cleared his throat as he began his instructions, demonstrating slowly as he went through the motions. Ainosuke watched closely, enthralled. Whether it was with the trick itself or Tadashi’s demonstrations, he wasn’t really sure.

“My turn!” He exclaimed eagerly as soon as Tadashi had finished. He put himself into position, swiftly imitating the motions he’d just watch the other boy do.

And swiftly landing face first onto the ground.

“Ainosuke-sama----!” Tadashi hurried over to his side, kneeling down as Ainosuke pulled himself back up, rubbing a sore spot on his nose.

“I told you not to call me that here.” He frowned over at him.

“My apologies, Ainosu---Adam.” Tadashi managed to correct himself at the last moment. It felt strange, not quite right. “Are you hurt?”

“Yeah.” Ainosuke groaned lamentingly, and Tadashi nearly began to panic. “I couldn’t do the ollie! I thought this was supposed to be easy. My _heart_ is wounded.”

He felt relief at that, and the corners of his mouth quirked up in amusement. “You’ll fall a few times at first. But knowing you, I’m sure you’ll pick it up quickly.”

Ainosuke appeared mildly disappointed in that, still sulking just a little. Tadashi takes the quiet interlude as a chance to check him over for any injuries. There was a scuff on his knee just above his blue wool socks that won’t be too hard to explain away as an accident somewhere within the estate. Tadashi would apologize for not keeping a close enough eye on him if anyone questions it, claim it was his own negligence that caused it. _Hopefully they would go easier on him that way._

His face was alright though, at least, with no outward signs of any damage. Tadashi’s gaze lingered on it a little longer than he needed to, soaking in the soft shape of his cheeks and the ruby glimmer of his eyes. He didn’t roll up his sleeves as he checked over him. He already knew what he’d find there, had already sealed himself into a silent vow not to mention it.

If he saw them again, he didn’t know if he’d be able to hold back his sorrow. Ainosuke wouldn’t be happy about that, he wouldn’t understand it.

_Why should he be sad to know how much his family loves him?_

“Would you like to try again?” Tadashi asked, an attempt to pull himself free from his own bitter thoughts.

Ainosuke didn’t sulk for very long after that. He got up, and he tried again. And again. And again. It only took him about fifteen minutes until he finally got himself off the ground without falling. _It had taken Tadashi several weeks._

“Hey! Tada-kun, did you see that?”

“Mm,” Tadashi confirmed with a proud little smile. “Good job, Ai---Adam. You’re amazing!”

Ainosuke soaked in the praise, then did another. He managed to get a little further off the ground this time, and looked wildly ecstatic as he landed. He pushed himself towards Tadashi once again, this time moving more boldly to pull the other boy right into his arms and spin him around.

The board goes sliding out from beneath them, and they both topple tangled up together onto the ground in a fit of joyous laughter. _Ainosuke was right_ , Tadashi thought to himself as they rolled over and just laid there together under the soft glow of stars and the waning moon, _This really was paradise._

* * *

Tadashi sighed as he stubbed out the rest of his cigarette, the sound so soft it was almost silent. As he did, his eyes stayed fixed on the night sky above him. He could have sworn it used to shine brighter than this. Looking up to it now, everything appeared dulled. Only a few faint stars bobbed the surface of the black sea of sky.

Had it actually been just the same back then, too?

He wasn’t quite sure why the memory had come to him now. Perhaps it was picking up a skateboard again for the first time in so long, as his muscles pulled forward the memories of how to move again, moments like this decided to unburrow themselves from the back of his mind along with it.

Teaching Ainosuke how to skate had been a stupid mistake. He’d learned that lesson clearly back in their teens, as he’d watched the body count of injured partners steadily rise behind them. People were getting severely hurt, it had only been a matter of time before someone was able to dig up the connection between the enigmatic skater _Adam_ and the up-and-coming young pride of the Shindo family.

It had only been a matter of time before they were caught and expelled from Eden. As his skateboard went up in flames in front of them, Tadashi watched the last piece of the Ainosuke he’d grown up with slip away from his reach. 

_A dog was just a dog._

The only choice he had now was to become the snake as Ainosuke had once jested, to make sure he’s banished from the garden once and for all. He couldn’t dissuade him from his twisted displays of love, but he could carry them all himself.

After all, no one else could understand Ainosuke’s love like he could.

And maybe, just maybe if he beared enough of it, one day he’d be able to see that moonlit smile again, to feel his touch as soft and warm as it used to be.

Maybe the stars would shine brighter again then.

**Author's Note:**

> find me on twitter @rackamskiddo i talk about tadaai a lot


End file.
